Bring cinematic surround sound audio right to your living room with this home theater system. The ADAPTiQ® audio calibration system adjusts sound for your entertainment area's acoustics, speaker setup and listening position for enhanced performance. Discover a better way to experience home theater. Learn more about Bose® Lifestyle® V-class systems. Explore the world of legendary sound in our Bose store.
Average Customer Rating:
4.1 out of 5
Rating Breakdown
(15 reviews)
5 stars
(9)
4 stars
(1)
3 stars
(3)
2 stars
(1)
1 star
(1)
11 of 15 (73%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Review 1 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
2.05
You can do better...for less
11/26/2008
By TrueHDBelieverfrom Tulsa, OK
Value for Price
2.05
Sound Quality
4.05
Ease of Set Up
5.05
Appearance
5.05
What's great about it: Very easy to hook up, sleek, What's not so great: price, does not decode D.Digital or DTS without optical input (even with HDMI)
"For the price, you'd expect Bose to do better. The V20 does not decode DTS, TrueHD, or Dolby Digital without the use of an optical line in addition to the HDMI (crazy, I know!). I spent an hour on the phone with Bose - who are VERY helpful, by the way - and he admitted as much. A very annoying issue the V20 also has is that it does not seamlessly change channels. You'll get a blue-screen while the unit does its "handshakes" with your digital cable box or changes over to your BluRay. I also could not get over how regular channels looked WORSE after hooking up cable through the receiver/control box. The HD channels didn't look as sharp either. The Bose guy said this was not supposed to happen and that I should take it up with my cable company. HOWEVER...when I took the V20 back and got something else, the regular channels looked a lot better than they did with the V20. They looked like the signal wasn't being interfered with at all (which is what is supposed to happen). The sound - which made me drool IN STORE - did not sound as great at home ... no matter how I tweaked the setups in both the Bose and my BluRay. Long story short... I took the Bose back and bought the Pioneer VSX-1018AH-k and Def.Tech ProCinema speaker setup. I saved over $500 and the whole system works GREAT and sounds phenomenal. It decodes TrueHD, DTS-HD, etc etc... using just the HDMI (like you'd expect for the the money you're spending)
If you have the money and your ears/eyes can't tell the difference, go ahead and buy the BoseV20...however, if not... BOSE = Buy Other Sound Equipment"
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 2 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
5.05
BOSE V20
11/21/2008
By JDPRIME13from MI
Value for Price
5.05
Sound Quality
5.05
Ease of Set Up
4.05
Appearance
5.05
What's great about it: Great all around system, Theater Quality Sound
"The Bose V20 system has theater quality sound and feel. When I put a move on the sound quality (even at maximum volume) is clear and distortion free, you even feel the sound waves resonating deep in your chest just like at the theater. Coupled with a HDTV and Blue Ray movies your theater system is complete. The V20 system even put regular TV out in sourround sound. TV, Radio (the Bose receiver is the radio) and even CD are crystal clear sound. I really like the fact the the BOSE remote can control the satalite receiver, Samsung DVD player and the TV so I only need one remote. The Bose remote can change channels from any room in the house including the basement.
Set up took about 1 hour and was fairly easy to do. Only thing I did not like is the HDMI cable Bose provides is of low quality. For the system price I would think Bose would include a preimum HDMI cable."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 3 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Top 25 Contributor
Customer Rating
5.05
worth the wait
11/02/2008
By frank12345from miami, fl
Value for Price
3.05
Sound Quality
5.05
Ease of Set Up
5.05
Appearance
5.05
"We waited over ten years before finally taking the plunge with Bose and it was well worth the wait. The sound quality is superb and it does everything I need it to do. I test ran it with Saving Private Ryan and finally re-experienced the theater quality sound I couldn't get with our Klipsch or Sony systems. HOWEVER, it took me two weekends to figure out how to make all the connections (DirecTV, TIVO, DVD...) work like they are supposed to; if I had it to do over again I would pay the Geek Squad or somebody to set it up for me. But now that it is up and running I only regret that we waited so long"
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 4 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
5.05
EXCELLENT
07/25/2008
By SOMERSET1111from WOODBURY, MN
What's great about it: BEST SOUND EVER VERY VERY CLASSY What's not so great: PRICE IS HIGHER BUT IT IS QUALITY
"BEST BUY PERSONAL ACTUALLY HAD KNOWLEADGE OF THE PRODUCT. WHEN YOUR SPENDING THAT MUCH MONEY YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR GETTING THE BEST. THIS IS OUR 3 PURCHASE OF BOSE FROM BEST BUY - WE DID SHOP AROUND AND THEY HAD A GOOD PRICE. THEY ALSO HELPED WITH OUR OUTDOOR BOSE AMP. THEY WENT OUT OF THEY WAY - TRIED TO GET IT TO WORK. VERY VERY HELPFUL"
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 5 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
1.05
Not good.....
07/18/2008
By Anonymous Reviewer
What's great about it: few......... What's not so great: poor sound
"Has some features one would expect from a decent receiver, but overall it's just not a good value. The speakers sound bad & the subwoofer is a joke. Got the Yamaha/Klipsch combo for 1/2 the price & it's a much better sounding system that has everything this bose does & more......................a much better value."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
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Review 6 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Top 50 Contributor
Customer Rating
4.05
good sound
07/04/2008
By mash4077
What's great about it: crazy sound, small speakers What's not so great: remote
"this is a very good system and you cant argue its bose... its a bit pricey but when you here the crazy sound that comes out of this system you will love your purchase. another pro for me is the small speakers, for me i already have another system, it has these big bulky speakers and you can notice them really well.... also its sooo amazing the sound that you can get from such small speakers, the only con for me is that the remote for the system is a little more confusing campared to other systems, i would like it to be more simple.... a good sound system that is less expensive than bose and is still a good system is sony, before this system i was considering this sony 5 disk changer.... i got that that is my other system that i have, it has good sound and it is considerably less expensive, but the bose is still better.... if i could pick between them right now i think i would choose the sony mostly for less clutter because it has a 5 disk changer and that means that you dont need a dvd player sitting in your stand and a surround home theater system..... also the sony is very good for the price, now that ive paid for the bose i use it more only because it is slightly better than the sony and i have already spent the money..... i would rather have the sony and if i could choose and i would higher reccomend the sony..... so if you have the money and you want to spend it on the bose then thats fine but if you dont have enough money then i would definently reccomend the sony......."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 7 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
5.05
best sound ever heard
06/16/2008
By pdxv20
What's great about it: multi inputs and small speakers What's not so great: to expensive
"We got V20 on the weekend at sales price and replaced my $400 panasonic surround sound that we had. Install was some what hard and time consuming but it included everything that you might need or would have to go buy, such as hdmi and other sound/video cables. We hooked up with my samsung 46" lcd and blu-ray player. At first couldn't get the bose control to work with all my components and we also didn't feel any different from our older surround sound. Good thing that we made the call to the bose tech support on sunday. After an hour on the phone, We were so pleased how much time the guy spend with us, helpful way and He make sure that everything works and sound like the retail store demo. He Also even send us extra cable at no charge. We are very pleased that with 5.1 surround from bose you can really hear the missing tones and back ground noise that can't hear from any other surround sound brand. I know from now on we are staying at home for the movie night. We're putting up a sign saying now showing at ACT V THEATER."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 8 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Top 100 Contributor
Customer Rating
5.05
My Ultimate System
03/31/2008
By Blindspotfrom Hagerstown, MD
What's great about it: Ease Of Setup, Use, Great Sound, VERY Customizable What's not so great: Remote Not Infinitely Programmable, No HD Audio Support
"I purchased a Lifestyle35 several years ago and have been quite pleased with the simplicity and performance of the system. I'm quite familiar with the ins and outs of Bose's systems, and when Bose released their new V-series, I figured it was time for an upgrade. Since the LS35 uses the top-of-the-line Jewel Cube speakers (which are interchangable), I saved myself some money by picking up a V20 instead of the V30. Glad I did- it gave me a chance to put the two speaker packages head-to-head! ----- The Jewel Cubes are much cleaner than the Acoustimass Speakers when it comes to music listening. With movies, they sound about the same (with the Jewels being marginally better), but music is definately where they make the biggest impact. The highs sound much brighter on the Jewel Cubes. The delicate detail found in classical music and even jazz is far more pronounced. Little things like triangles or the rake of fingers on guitar strings can be more readily picked out. During movies, it seemed like more of a volume difference than anything. The Jewel Cubes naturally put out more volume, but the clarity wasn't all that different. The most dramatic difference I heard was from DTS soundtracks- DTS doesn't use as much compression as compared to DolbyDigital, and the Jewels seemed to take advantage of this fact, if only a little. ----- As far as ease of setup and use goes- Bose has it down to a science! While not as simple as the 321 I got for my parents, its mostly because of the increase of capabilities. Basically, the more wires you're willing to hook up, the more things you'll learn it can do! The system can perform things like automatically turn on your TV, expand to 14 other rooms, and even tune itself! The list goes on and on! ----- The V20 (or should I call it the V30 now that I have the Jewel Cubes connected?), like the other Lifestyle systems, includes an audio-calibration system called 'AdaptIQ.' Unlike other auto-setup mics found with conventional receivers, you wear this one on your head. Yes- its a set of STEREO mics so the system can listen to itself the way you're going to be listening to it! Not only that, but it takes measurements from FIVE seats in the room, as opposed to just one generalized location. I guess the idea is that it will adjust itself more accurately than a normal setup mic would? Whatever- I'm sold! ----- The entire customization process begins by going into the setup menus. Individual volume adjustments are available for each audio input, as are video aspect ratios. Programming the remote is a breeze- you just go into the system settings menu and pick your device from the list (though the ability to input alternate codes would be nice). I've got a total of 7 devices hooked up to my system ranging from iPod to VCR to Playstation3, and while the system does NOT support HD audio from Bluray movies, it all sounds PHENOMINAL nonetheless! Keep in mind though, I'm running Jewel Cubes on my system- the Acoustimass Speakers it comes with still sound great! ----- Bottom line? Well, that depends on you! Most will argue that the system is too expensive- I say its a value when you look at the big picture! The abilities of the system reach FAR beyond your normal HTIB, and if how long my Lifestyle35 has lasted so far is any indication on Bose's build quality, I'm sure I will be enjoying this systems for YEARS to come! While I wish it had a few more HDMI inputs (only 2?) and HD audio support is curiously absent (perhaps because built on same amps/processors?), the Bose Lifestyle V20 is an excellent choice for those with HD on the mind, but don't want something unnecessarily complicated to bog the experience down. Pair this bad boy with a Playstation3 for its Bluray and music storage capabilities and you've got a winning combo on your hands for sure!"
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 9 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
5.05
Worth every penny ...
03/19/2008
By pomafrom Chicago, IL
What's great about it: Awesome Sound, Easy installation, Good remote What's not so great: Can't connect Standard cable to the Receiver. Need a digital cable box
"I purchased this system from Best Buy about a month ago and so far the system is working great!!! Bose has done a great change from it's standard life style system by making it a component based system 2 HDMI inputs are sufficient though three would have been better. The system comes with all the basic cable necessary and the connection is very easy. The remote works great except that it does not have the eject for the DVD. This is the only time I have to look for a DVD remote. I have connected the Sony 1080P TV, and an Sony up converting DVD payer and both the picture quality and Sound is awesome!!! Even though it feels expensive, But if you add up all the cost you have to pay for a nice remote, Extract cables, this puppy is worth every penny..."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 10 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
3.05
OK system
03/19/2008
By Catmanfrom Dallas
What's great about it: Good system. Small speakers. What's not so great: Remote control. Bose support.
"Sound is good and speakers are small. Not worth the 4x the cost of my Sony system. Sales rep talked me into this system over the other because of the ease of use for my family. Would be much happier with this system if the remote control would work with my Panasonic 58" plasma tv and Toshiba HD-DVD player. The Bose system relies on being able to control other systems. The problem is Bose gives you a list of codes for your application and you cannot install any other codes. Contacted Bose several times and there last reply was That the Products are to new and codes are not in system, It is possible that codes will be offered in future software updates. That has been back in 12-13-2007. Had to go out and spend alot of money to buy a universal remote to get system to work."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 11 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
5.05
Awesome sound from such small speakers
02/25/2008
By Martyna
"My husband wanted this product to go along with our new HP television and they are a wonderful combination. The sound quality is amazing and the Bose features are quite user friendly and convenient. Such as, switching between cable, DVD and the radio just by pushing the buttons on the remote. Also, our new television did not have a stretch feature (since it's wide screen) whereas the Bose system does. Not only does it stretch the regular tv signal to fill the screen but it also improves the image quality when it streches it. We might not have to get the HD cable box afterall! My husband's favorite feature is the radio tuner. We have our record player, DVD player, and 3 game systems hooked up to our Bose system. It's very easy to use and we'd recommend it to anyone."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 12 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
3.05
Over-rated
02/14/2008
By Calsal
What's great about it: Easy setup, nice sound What's not so great: Limited on customization
"Good product, good sound but overall I'v heard other systems just as good or even better @ lower prices."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:No
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Review 13 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Top 1000 Contributor
Customer Rating
5.05
Good Purchase
02/11/2008
By Blondie1968from IA
What's great about it: Good Sound
"Good sound from small speakers. Setup was pretty easy. Not had any problems so far."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
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Review 14 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Customer Rating
5.05
Good system
12/30/2007
By MO13from Houston, TX
What's great about it: Easy hook-up; Good sound What's not so great: No remote program code for new TV
"Have hooked up to 50" Panasonic 1080p, Panasonic Blue-Ray DVD, Monster Power Box. Fantastic sound with HD and Blue-Ray. No real sound from regular TV stations. Need to contact Bose about programing remote to TV."
Would you recommend this product to a friend?:Yes
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 15 for Bose® Lifestyle® V20 Home Theater System - Black
Top 1000 Contributor
Customer Rating
3.05
It has its place
12/19/2007
By tomasmdfrom Bristol, CT
What's great about it: good sound from small speakers What's not so great: no highs, no lows
"I have very mixed feelings about bose. As far as high fidelity, they are lacking. If you are looking for something that is going to let you hear every detail, look elsewhere. Audiophiles aside, bose is great for the rest of the population. easy to hook up, small, discrete. If you want good sound but your wife wants to preserve the room's decor, bose is a great option."
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